Play pen



N. w. WHITE:

Nov. 6, 1951 PLAY lPEN 2 i sr-IEETs-SHEET 1 Filed June 9, 1948 Elmo/wmNov. 6, 1951 N. w. WHITE 2,574,079

PLAY PEN Filed June a, 194s 2 SHEETS-SHEET. 2

4 l l y ZVMA/v WW1/TE,

Patented Nov. 6, v195.1

UNITED STATESvv PATENT y OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a play pen and moreVAN partcularly to a playpen which may be folded into a compact unit to facilitate its storageand transportation.

In most instances vit is desirable that the play pens for infants becollapsible into a compact unit suitable for storage or transportationwhen the pen is not in use. Most of the play pens hitherto availablehave folded into a relatively long and wide, but thin, unit which willnotv fit into a small storage space. In addition to the large amount ofroom required for storage, which generally is at a premium in manyapartments, the long dimension of the folded play pen makes it awkwardto handle. Moreover, the rigid floorboards with which most play pens areequipped add appreciably to the Weight of the pen.

It is an object of this invention to provide a play pen which may befolded into a compact bundle to facilitate its transportation andstorage.

Another object of this invention is to provide a play pen which may befolded into a compact bundle for transportation and readily setup at thepoint of use'. l y

A further object of this invention is to provide a folding play pen ofunitary structure in which the mat covering the oor of the pen foldswith the pen.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a light-weight topfolding play pen which -may be easily transported.

With these and other objects in mind which will become apparent in thefollowing detailed description, this invention resides in a substan'ltially circular play pen in which horizontal rods extend substantiallyradially from a central supporting member to which they are rotatablyconnected. Posts pivotally attached to the outer end. of the rodsnormally extend upward to form the outer wall of the play pen. Onfolding the play pen, the horizontal rods rotate downwardly in anumbrella fashion and the posts rotate in an opposite direction to lieflat against the rods.

In the drawings: v n Figure 1 is a plan view, with portionsof thefloormat removed, of the play pen in the upright position ready for use;c

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view'y along the. D

section line 2-,-2 in Figure 1 of the play pen in an upright position;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the pen inthe folded position; 'l

Figure 4 is a detailed view of the structure ro-z face of the ring 3.

Vtatably supporting the posts at the end of the horizontal rods;

Figure 5 is also a detailed view along the section line 5-5 in Figure 4illustrating the means of supporting the posts and the resilient meansaiding in the folding of the play pen; and

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the means for attaching thehorizontal rods to the central member. f

As is best illustrated in Figure 2, the play pen of this invention has afloor, indicated generally by I, with an outer wall formed by aplurality of spaced posts 2 extending upwardly from the floor I of thepen. A ring 3 is supported at the center of the floor I for thereception and support of aplurality of rods 4, substantially horizontalwhen the pen is in the upright position, which extend radially from thering to the outer wall of the play pen. As is best illustrated in Figure6, ring 3 may be broken at 5 for the reception of loops 6 at the innerend of the horizontal rods 4. A lug 1 is provided on the end of th'ering 3 and prevent any twisting of the rods 4.about their longitudinalaxes. The lower surface of the top plate 8 outside of the slots 9engages the upper surface of the rods 4 to limit their upward rotationon ring 3 to the horizontal position illustrated in Figures 2 and 6.

A bottom plate I3 having a series of notches v II spaced in alignmentwith the slots 9 in the top plate 3 is held irmly against the lower Sur-Thc notches il receive the loops Ii of the rods t in much the samemanner as slots 9. The absence of a rim surrounding the notches Iiallows the rods i to rotate downward from the horizontal position. Theinner ends I2 of notches II engage the lug l at the f end of loop 6 tolimit the downward rotation of the rods fi to approximately the verticalposition illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings.

Thetop plate 8, ring 3 and bottom plate IQ may be supported by anysuitable means such The block I 5 horizontal position when the play penis in the normal upright position. Any suitable handle, such as a cord lengaging screw I3 and having a ring Il attached to its end should besecured to the top plate to facilitate the folding of the play pen inthe manner hereinafter described.

A hook indicated generally by IB is provided at the outer end of each ofthe rods l for the rotatable mounting of one of the posts 2. The hooksi8, in the preferred form illustrated in the drawings, consist of a basei9 adjoining the rod and extending horizontally substantially at rightangles to the rod. A diagonal rod 20 perpendicular to base i9, extendsupward and outward from the base i9 toman outer arm 2l extendinghorizontally and generally paralei to the base I9. In the drawings,,hooks. l 8 a re formed by bending the outer end of arm 4. They may, ofcourse, be constructed in any suitable manner. Each of the posts 2 has ahorizontal opening 22 passing laterally` therethrough near its lower endfor the reception of the 3arm-2| which serves as an axis about which theposts rotate.

Posts 2 may be straight members or may be ofi-set at 23 to allow theplay pen 'to fold into a slightly more compact bundle, vas illustratedin Figure 3. The lower ends 2li of the posts 2 rest on the floor or the"ground and support the rods thereabove when the play pen is in use. Theposts 2 are apertured at 25 between their lower ends 2li and theopenings 22 receiving arms 2|. A wire 2&5 passes through openings 25 ineach of the posts and is drawn into a taut condition when the play penis in the upright position to limit the outward Vrotation of the lowerends ofthe posts to the vertical position. The upper vends of the posts2 are also apertured for the reception of Va cord 2l passing througheach of the posts. Cord 2i llike wire 2E,

' isin a taut condition when the play pen is in the upright position andlimits the outward movement of the upper ends vof the posts. Apluralityof varied colored beads 23 are strung on the cord 2l to space fthe upperends of the posts 2 properly 'and preventlateral movement of the p ostsv`2 when theplay pen is in use.- The 'beads 28 therefore contribute tothe rigidity of the structure as well as providingk a source ofentertainment forrthe infant. A further' si ipport of the posts 2 isprovided 'by tightly Vdraw'ri l -stays 29 extending diagonally from theupper `end of some of the posts 2 to substantially the Ipo'int ofattachment to the rods d of other iposts 2. In this manner, vposts vatregular intervals around the circumference of the play pen'fare held inposition by stays 29 and lateral displacement of the other posts isprevented by the beads 28 on the tightly drawn cord 21.

A etorsion spring 30 is mounted on the arm 2|, which serves as an axisfor the spring, and has one of its arms 3| hooked around the diagonalmember 2G of the hook I8. The other arm 32 engages the posts 2 belowtheir pointl of support on arm 2 l In the preferred form shown, the arm32 of the torsion Vspring 'crosses vthe inner surface of the posts 2 andrvis bent back to loop around the arm 2l. In Vthis manner the torsionspring 30 holds the posts 2 in place on the arm 2! and prevents themfromsliding along the length of the arm.

The torsion spring 3l) constantly urg'es the lower end of the posts 2outward and tends to rotate the upper end of the posts 2 against Vthedoor surface l of the play pen. The force of the torsion spring 30 isopposed when the play pen is in the upright position by the wire 2t.rlhe wire 26 is prevented from pulling the lower ends of the postsinward beyond the vertical position by the bases I9 of the hooks l2which serve as stops, engaging the posts 2 and thereby obstructinginward rotation of the lower end of the posts 2. Y

Y The floor of the play pen is formed by a sheet 33 of canvas or otherstretch resistant material 'eiitending 'over the upper surface of therods l .to form a support for a mat Sil. The sheet 33 should beapertured at 35 and equipped with grommets or other reinforcement toengage the hook I8 at theend of each of the rods 2. in this manner thesheet 33 is held in a tight con- .-ditionand forms a resilient floor forthe play pen. Ihe mat' 313 is preferably of greater thickness jin theregions between the rods s than in the regions directly over the rods toform a flat playing Surface in the play pln.

Y If the play pen is in the upright position shown in Figure 42 and it-is desired to fold the pen to the position shown in Figure 3 the ringSis lifted byV means of cord- I'G and ring Il. As the ring 3 is lifted,the weight of the posts 2 causes the rods 4 to rotate downwardly.yContinued lifting Zof the ring 2 will diminish the diameter of thecircle formed by the outer ends of the rods and the wire 26 will becomeloose. As wire 26 is loosened, the torsion springs 32 rotate the upperends vof the 'posts 2 inwardly towards the surfaces of the mat 313.Continued lifting of the ring Il will ultimately vbring the play peninto the condition illustrated in Figure 3. It will be ynoted that itVis not necessary to remove the sheet 33 or the r'na'tL 3'4 as the playpen is folded. These members merely fold into the space between the rods'4 and the posts 2 and are 'thereby held Aiirmly in place.

The play pen is set up vby grasping two posts 2, and their respectiverods 4, spaced about 9Do apart kat the region of the yarm 2l, and givinga'noutward pull vwhile the pen is held at an angle to cause thelowermost rods to fall away in a more or less fan-like fashion. The `penis then set `on the I-floo'r and the opening completed by eX- 'ertingpressure on the plate 8. As the pen is opened the wire 26 :becomesincreasingly taut and rotates the posts 2, against the forces of springs"3D, to an upright position. The lcontinued exertion of pressure on thetop plate 8 results in the posts 2 beingpulled by wire -26 against thebase Y l`9 of the hooks I8 on the outer end of `the rod.

When the posts 2 Aare -in this condition vthe cord "'21 at the top oflthe 'posts and the stays 29 are taut and provide lateral support forthe posts.

' sheet is Vheld ina Vtaut condition because of its engagement with thediagonal members 20 and provides a nat-resilient 4floor for the playpen.

The/novel play penfdescribed herein folds in anumbrellaflikefmanner intoa unitary comp-act bundle which maybe stored `in asmall space and iseasily carried. The unique method of folding allows one to dismantle thepen'easily by "si-mplyflifting the oor'itl"attached near the center :ofthe'floo'r of the pen. By vproviding a Vtaut sheet of canvas to supporta floor mat, the weight `of the 'pen is greatly decreased, 'therebyfurther facilitating the carryingo'fithe pen.

While this invention has been described in detail with'r'espect to faparticular modification of the play pen, it is to be understood that the'I5-@Concept of `this invention lis-*not limited to those details, butis determined by the scope of the 'appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a folding play pen a ring, a top plate on the upper surface of thering, slots in the plate overlying the ring, a bottom plate on the lowersurface of the ring and connected to the top plate, slots in the edge ofthe bottom plate in alignment with the slots in the top plates, rodsrotatably engaging the ring at the slots and extending outwardly fromthe ring under the top plate, posts rotatably mounted on the outer endsof the rods, and resilient means urging the posts to rotate in adirection opposite the direction of rotationrof the rods to fold the penas the top plate is lifted.

2. In a folding play pen a central ring, a plurality of rods, said rodsbeing pivotally mounted at one end of said plurality in spaced relationon the ring to permit the rods to extend radially in the plane of thering when the pen is in an open position and to be moved perpendicularlyto the plane of the ring when the ring is raised, a plurality ofvertically extending posts, one end of each post being rotatably securedto the remaining end of a rod, means urging the posts to rotate in adirection opposite to the rotationpof the rods to fold the pen when thering is raised and means supported by the posts to form an enclosure forthe pen.

3. In a folding play pen a pair of plates, a central ring securedbetween two' plates, Ia plurality of rods, said rods being pivotallymounted at one end of said plurality in spaced relation on the ring topermit the rods to extend radially in the plane of the ring when the penis in an open position and to be moved perpendicularly to the plane ofthe ring When the ring is raised, a plurality of vertically extendingposts, one end of each post being rotatably secured to the remaining endof a rod, means urging the posts to rotate in a direction opposite tothe rotation of the rods to fold the pen when the ring is raised, meansto maintain the posts in a vertical position when the pen is opened, andmeans supported by the posts to form an enclosure for the pen.

NORMAN W. WHITE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 540,863 Lawson June 11, 18951,779,060 Choate Oct. 21, 1930 2,501,359 Stilson Mar. 21, 1950 2,523,422Dunn Sept. 26, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 15,193 GreatBritain of 1908

